Floor-mat.



F. ST. LOUIS.

FLOOR MAT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27. 1915.

1, 144,442. Patented June 29, 1915.

iili I iilw" s .1 I I HUMP- im-n G I Z G) FRANK s'r. Louis, on WINDSOR, oNTAnIo, CANADA.

' moon-MA Specification of Letters Patent. Paffi qgnted June 29, 1915 Application filed March 2'7, 1915. Serial No. 17,346.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK ST. LOUIS, a subject of the King of England, residing at Windsor, in the county of Essex and Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvemerits in Floor-Mats, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to floor mats, and the primary object of my invention is to provide a rollable mat composed of a series of floor members retained in spaced relation and articulated whereby one series of floor members can be rolled relative to ad.- joining series of floor members.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fabricated floor mat composed of articulated frames of any suitable design filled with a solid yieldable material that maintains the frame in engagement with a floor or other surface.

A further object of this invention is to accomplish the above result by a simple, durable and inexpensive mat construction that will be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed, and reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan of a portion of the mat, partly broken away, and partly in section; Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the same, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a detached frame.

A mat in accordance with this invention comprises a plurality of floor members arranged in series and each floor member consists of a rectangular frame, a stiffening or coupling member and a yieldable body.

Each rectangular frame is composed of two sections 1 having the ends thereof terminating in apertured lugs 2. The sections 1 confront each other with the apertured lugs 2 thereof in parallelism, whereby a rivet 3 or other pivotal means can be employed for articulating or connecting one frame to another, it being preferable to alternately dispose the apertured lugsof one frame relative to an adjoining frame, as best shown in Fig. 1.

In connection with frames generally designated 4, forming two or more marginal edges of themat, it -is unnecessary to make these frames in two sections insomuch that only one set of apertured lugs is necessary to install the frame. The sections 1 of the majority of the frames are provided with slots or openings 5 and extending therethrough is a stiffening or coupling member 6, preferably in the form of a metallic strip, which serves functionally as rigid means for connecting walls of each frame. The member 6 is of sufficient length to extend through a series of floor members and thereby hold the frames of said members in a common plane, the rigidly articulated floor members having somewhat the formation of a slat which can be bodily shifted or moved relative to adjoining series of floor members.

The bodies forming part of the floor members are designated 7 and are of greater depth than the frame, whereby said bodies can rest upon the floor or other surface without the metallic frames contacting with the surface. The bodies 7 are preferably in the form of two blocks or slabs snugly fitted within the frame and riveted or otherwise connected to the member 6, as at 8. These bodies are made of asphaltum, a suitable composition, or any material that can be easily shaped and fitted into the frames of the floor members, and with the bodies made of asphaltum, such bodies possess a degree of yieldability which prevents slipping upon the mat and a degree of comfort to persons standing or walking upon the same.

It is through the medium of the articulated series of rigidly connected floor members that the mat can be rolled to occupy a comparatively small space, when not in use, and easily laid, such a mat being advantageous as a floor covering in front and behind bars, hotel lobbies and halls, and such places where floor surfaces are subjected to considerable wear.

It is apparent that the floor members can be of various designs and for this reason I do not care to limit my invention other than defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. A rollable mat comprising series of frames with said series articulated outside of said frames, a fiat stiffening member extending through the frames of each series, a block in each frame, and means in each frame independent of the walls thereof for connecting the blocks in said frame to the stiffening member extending therethrough.

2. A mat comprising a series of frames, a flat stiffening member extending throughout the series of frames and bodies in each Iigrame connected to said flat stiffening mem- 8. A mat comprising articulated series frames, a fiat stiffen ng ember extend; through the frames of each series, blocks the frames of all of said series, and means 5 extending through said stiffening member for connecting block to the stiffening members.

Wasiiiiigton, D. 6.

of Iri testimony whereof I aflix my signature 11g presence of :two W tnesses.

in i FRANK ST. LOUIS.

Q Witnesses:

. LEWIS E. FLANDERs,

ANNAlVI. DORR.

ents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, 

